The Kitsilano Coast Guard Base, a recognizable landmark in Vancouver and important public marine safety facility required a complete building envelope retrofit that would be functional, robust and aesthetic. The project objectives required an envelope upgrade to withstand a renewed lifecycle in an exposed marine setting.

Its landmark setting and significance as the public face of an important government agency required a design approach that enhanced its context on the edge of a large park, adjacent to a busy waterway, and set against high-density residential development.

The RATIO team developed a design that combined a new high-quality cladding & insulation system meeting the latest technical standards, with a contemporary aesthetic for its high visibility siting on the North East corner of Kits Point and in the shadow of the Burrard Bridge.